Breathe
by My Creative Notebook
Summary: Mikan Sakura and her best friend Hotaru Imai finally get the chance to go back to their hometown in the countryside. What awaits them there? What will happen after the trip? NxM HxR
1. Chapter 1

**YAY! My first fanfic! I'm sooooooo happy!**

Summary: Mikan Sakura and her best friend Hotaru Imai finally get the chance to go back to their hometown in the countryside. What awaits her there? What will happen after the trip? NatsumexMikan and HotaruxRuka

Genre: Friendship/Romance (Friendship near the beginning and middle, romance starting at the end of middle...that was kinda confusing :P) and Hurt/Comfort (This story will contain a lot of hurt for Hotaru and Mikan. Who comes in? Hehehehe...)

Rated: T (for language and some scenes... but most of the time I would also give it a K+)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. I wish I did! :P

**Breathe**

It was a beautiful, sunny day outside. The birds were chirping, the squirrels were gathering nuts, and the trees were swaying, their leaves gently ruffling against the wind.

A cute Mikan Sakura was cheerfully whistling while her best friend Hotaru Imai rode her "duck scooter", fumbling with her blackmailing camera.

"I wonder what we'll be doing today, right Hotaru?" Mikan mentioned excitedly, shaking Hotaru's arm. "I hope we're not gonna learn more of that boring math Jin-Jin taught us yesterday! He's so boring!" Hotaru simply nodded her head once, not really paying attention.

When they arrived at the school, Narumi-sensei was already in the classroom, prancing around and singing, "Another school day! I'm so happy!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes, her fingers drifting towards her baka gun.

Narumi was in the middle of teaching when a sudden announcement interrupted while he was about to explain the Pythagorean Theorem.

"Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai, please report to the principle's office."

Mikan and Hotaru slowly stood, clearly confused. "You two are excused." Narumi nodded.

As they headed out, Ruka watched, confused. "What do you think happened?" He asked, nudging his best friend, Natsume Hyuuga.

"Hn," his silent friend replied. Natsume, with eyes narrowed, watched Mikan exit. _"What did they do this time?" _he thought worriedly.

Mikan and Hotaru stood in front of the door of the principle's office. "Should we knock?" Mikan asked uncertainly. Hotaru shrugged. "I guess we should." She rapped her knuckles on the fine wood three times.

"I'm so nervous!" Mikan exclaimed. "What's gonna happen?"

"Why are you asking me?" Hotaru asked, slightly annoyed. Just then, the door swung open. "Aah! Hello, dear students." It was the ESP, Kuonji.

Hotaru narrowed her eyes. "What would you like with us?" She interrogated, quite rudely, may I add.

"Come in, come in!" the ESP responded. "You'd be delighted to hear what I have to say."

"Seriously?!" Mikan screeched, jumping up and down, rejoicing at the wonderful news. "For reals?"

"Yes, for reals," the ESP smiled. Hotaru remained seated, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in a perfect _o_.

"Let's go pack, Hotaru!" Mikan yelled, grabbing Hotaru and heading out before shouting a, "THANK YOU!"

"Have fun!" the ESP smiled. They had no idea what they were in for.

The two best friends were standing at the train station, their luggage placed beside them. "I can't wait!" Mikan shouted. "I get to see Jii-chan again!"

Hotaru smiled warmly at her friend, her own heart beating like a drum. She could see her parents again. _If only my brother, Subaru Imai, could come as well, _she thought happily.

The train arrived at the station five minutes later. Mikan and Hotaru boarded it, their eyes sparkling and their mouths crinkled up into a smile. Even Hotaru.

On the ride, a little boy sat next to Mikan. He tugged at her sleeve after staring at her for a while. "What's your name?"

Mikan smiled. "Mikan Sakura. Yours?"

The little boy stiffened upon hearing her name. "Youichi Hijiri. I have no parents or siblings. Do you know your grandfather is dead?"

Mikan laughed heartily. "You have no parents or siblings, huh? Tell you what, I'll bring you home with me. And there's no way my strong grandpa is dead."

The boy just stared. "Where do you live?" Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Near the countryside. If you don't wanna come with me, you don't have to, you know."

Youichi narrowed his eyes. "I'll come with you."

Hotaru was soon introduced to Youichi, and they got along pretty well, as well they should be. Their personalities were very similar. As they arrived at their destination, Mikan took in a deep breath. _It sure smelled like home, _She observed quietly. _Jii-chan, wait for me!_

The three headed to the market for some food.

"Youichi, what would you like?" Mikan asked kindly, putting her hand on his head. Youichi responded by flicking her hand in annoyance with a, "Noodles."

"All right!" Mikan exclaimed brightly. "Hotaru, what are you—" Mikan turned to Hotaru, who already had two plates full of crabs and lobsters.

"I should've known," Mikan turned to Youichi. He stared with his emotionless teal eyes. "I'll be right back!"

Mikan wandered to a ramen shop. The owner was talking quickly and animatedly with a customer, and as soon as he spotted Mikan, he stiffened.

"Are you, by any chance, Mikan Sakura?"He asked cautiously.

"Well, yeah! How'd ya know?" Mikan asked cheerfully. Without pausing for his answer, she added, "I'd like two bowls of ramen noodles please!" She was about to pull out her wallet when the owner quickly shook his head.

"No, I'll give it to you for free," he quickly uttered, twiddling his fingers nervously. "You're gonna need all the money you can get." With that, he quickly rushed into the kitchen without another word.

_That was weird_, Mikan thought. _Oh well, I'll just wait for the noodles then!_

After drumming her fingers on the wooden table for ten minutes, an employee hurried out with two bowls of steaming hot ramen noodles. He gave a quick, "Thank you" and a bow and ran back into the kitchen.

"What's wrong with everybody?" Mikan asked Hotaru as she gave Youichi his noodles and a pair of chopsticks and slurped some of her own. "I got free ramen and the employees seemed scared of me." She pouted. "I hope they don't think we're weirdos." Looking around, she noticed shoppers everywhere were eyeing them warily, their eyes filling with sorrow.

Hotaru shrugged, her mouth full of crab. Swallowing, she replied, "When I went to purchase some seafood, everyone didn't give me a second glance. Did you do something wrong?" She grabbed some more crab from her almost empty plate.

"I don't think so," Mikan frowned. "Ne, Youichi, what do you think?"

Youichi remained as still as a rock, eyeing his noodles. Mikan caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. "This is weird! Even your eyes have that _I'm sorry_ look!" She shrugged. "Oh well."

Meanwhile, Hotaru felt worried. Something was definitely wrong—she knew it. _What happened? Does Youichi know? _She glanced at him. Whatever 'it' was, Hotaru knew it was bad.

Mikan, Hotaru, and Youichi made their way towards Jii-chan's little cottage. It was awfully quiet, Mikan noted. Usually, Jii-chan would be outside greeting her with a huge grin. Or he would be bathing in cold water, testing his "old" strength.

The ESP was quietly watching them on his "TV" screen. It was almost time.

Mikan skipped to the front door, her hands twitching in excitement. She knocked twice, having an aura full of excitement. _I get to see Jii-chan again!_

She waited. It had been one minute and there was not a peep. Hotaru held her breath. Youichi squirmed uncomfortably, preparing.

She waited some more. Two minutes. No sound.

Three minutes. Silence.

Five minutes. None.

Mikan turned to Hotaru in fear. "What should I do? He might be cooking, and he can't hear me!"

Hotaru slowly walked up to her and squeezed her hand. Her face showed traces of terror. Her eyes were brimming with sincerity. "Try opening it."

Mikan turned to the door and tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. The door swung open, creaking loudly. Youichi winced.

"Ummm...Hello?" Mikan timidly whispered. "Are you there, Jii-chan?"

Complete silence.

"Jii-chan!" Mikan spoke louder. "Where are you?"

Hotaru and Youichi waited. Nothing.

"JII-CHAN! PLEASE COME OUT!" Mikan yelled out in fright. "It's alright. He's just on a walk." Trembling, she fell to the floor. Hotaru quickly dropped down to comfort her. She didn't speak.

Youichi stood awkwardly. "I'm sorry. Here." Youichi handed her a letter.

Shaking, Mikan took it and took a deep breath. "Here goes," She muttered, and opened the letter.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA CLIFF HANGER! Sorry it might be boring in the beginning! But I swear, the next chapter's gonna be much more interesting. Next chapter release date: February 23rd.

PREVIEW:

_Mikan sobbed uncontrollably. Why—WHY?! Why her? Hotaru rubbed her shoulders soothingly. Taking out her baka gun, she said, "Don't worry. Let's go to my house and talk this out with my parents."_

_Later:_

_Hotaru's mouth dropped. Her arms shook, her legs shook, and her amethyst orbs slowly filled with shocked tears. "No. NO!" She screamed._

_Natsume and Ruka worriedly talked about the two girls_—

See ya next time! Thnx!

-My Creative Notebook


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! :P**

Summary: Mikan Sakura and her best friend Hotaru Imai finally get the chance to go back to their hometown in the countryside. What awaits her there? What will happen after the trip? NatsumexMikan and HotaruxRuka

Genre: Friendship/Romance (Friendship near the beginning and middle, romance starting at the end of middle...that was kinda confusing :P) and Hurt/Comfort (This story will contain a lot of hurt for Hotaru and Mikan. Who comes in? Hehehehe...)

Rated: T (for language and some scenes... but most of the time I would also give it a K+)

Disclaimer: Don't own Gakuen Alice, never will.

**Breathe**

**Chapter 2**

As soon as Mikan opened the letter, she flinched. _Let's see..., _she thought, as she read the letter out loud.

_Dear Mikan,_

_I'm sorry. I wish I could've greeted you. Or, at least, have seen your face before I left. The time has come for me to move on. _

_I'm sure you must be very confused. Youichi here, is your cousin, who also doesn't have any parents anymore. I took him in one day while you were in school. One week after, my right leg started hurting badly. I ignored the pain. As time passed, it hurt even more. Soon, I was taken to a hospital after a great fall. At the hospital, the doctors told me I had a tumor in it. Before long, I would die._

_Youichi tried to help me by doing all the chores. I stayed in bed for the time being, and he done a good job. Please take care of him. _

_Now where would you live? You might wonder. Gakuen Alice became your permanent home. When you get the chance to come back, you can stay at Hotaru's place. Feel free to come visit me. _

_Right now, I'm at the hospital writing this final letter to you, Mikan. I've sent Youichi to you so he could give this letter to you. Thank you for being there for me. _

_Don't give up. Keep smiling, and it will be alright._

_Your Loving Grandfather_

Mikan faltered at the end, tears dribbling down her porcelain face. _Your loving grandfather. _Without saying anything, she slammed the letter on the ground. Standing up, she clenched her fists.

"I'll be... in the bathroom," she murmured, her heart pounding against her chest. And she ran.

Closing the door slowly, she sank to the floor on her knees. _It will be alright, _she repeated in her head. Suddenly, she burst into tears.

"NO! NO NO NO! JII-CHAN'S NOT DEAD!" She punched the wall in insane fury. Mikan sniffed, her tears still streaming down her face like a waterfall.

Hotaru knocked on the door softly and came in, not even waiting to hear her tiny, "Come in!"

She sat beside her, her fingers twisted uncomfortably. She didn't know how to comfort Mikan. She couldn't say, "I know how you feel,", for that would be a lie.

Mikan sobbed uncontrollably. Why—WHY HER?! Deciding that it was the only thing to do, Hotaru rubbed her shoulders soothingly. "Don't worry. Let's go over to my house and tell my parents about this. They probably know. They can help you."

"Can they?" Mikan asked, her tear-stained face blooming with hope. "Thanks Hotaru!"

Youichi was still standing, his tiny arms laying on either side of his body awkwardly, as if not sure what to do. "Let's go, Youichi!" Mikan exclaimed cheerfully. "We're going to Hotaru's home!"

_Meanwhile, at Alice Academy..._

Natsume and Ruka were sitting in the shade of a sakura tree. Natsume was reading manga, while Ruka was absentmindedly talking to him about the two girls. "Do you think they're alright?" Ruka uttered, stroking his rabbit slowly. Natsume looked up from his manga and replied, "If they were sent home by the ESP, their "situation" must be bad." Ruka processed this piece of information in his head, thinking about what Natsume had just said.

"Yeah, you're right," Ruka agreed, and continued stroking his rabbit. In his head, he was secretly praying the girls were okay.

So was Natsume.

Hotaru's pace quickened as the distance between her home and them slowly decreased. _Almost there, almost there! _Hotaru's mind screamed. _Home, home, home! _Hotaru was so focused on heading home that she almost forgot Mikan's situation. So, as Mikan started to sob again, Hotaru's hand slipped into hers, giving Mikan a slight smile.

Mikan wiped her tears and her mouth curved upwards. _Thanks, _Mikan gratefully mouthed to Hotaru. Youichi's emotionless face stared at the two friends, noticing their strong bond. He smiled. And they continued onwards to home.

Hotaru stared at the door of her home, her mind completely blank. _Finally! _She knocked on the door, her hands twitching in excitement. Mikan blinked innocently, waiting, and Youichi's heart started beating like crazy. Hearing no response, Hotaru rolled her eyes. She opened the door with ease and looked around. "Mom! I'm home!"

There was no response. Youichi cleared his throat, trying to break the silence. He didn't need to, for at that moment, Subaru Imai came charging through the door the trio just passed through. "Where's Hotaru?" Spotting Hotaru, he grabbed her arm frantically and said, "Please don't cry. I'll explain." He glanced at Mikan. "Hey." Mikan nodded in reply.

Youichi awkwardly stood again, immediately thinking he didn't belong. He stepped out of the door and gave the "family" some space. He stared into the sky, his teal eyes full of emotion. _What will happen to us?_

Hotaru confusedly looked at Subaru. "Why are you here?" He took a deep breath. "Our parents are gone."

Hotaru's orbs widened. "Like, on a journey or something, or... Gone?" Subaru chuckled. "I guess you could say both," he muttered. "They died from a car crash a few hours ago." Mikan's hands clenched in fear.

Hotaru shook her head in rejection. "You're lying." Subaru shook his head. "No, I'm not. They found out you were coming home and rushed, I guess." He uncomfortably cleared his throat. "Anyway, Mom got injured in the head while Dad was hurt in his ribcage, which damaged his heart. They're at the hospital now," he added.

Hotaru's mouth dropped. Her arms shook, her legs started to shake as well, and her amethyst orbs slowly filled with shocked tears. "Impossible." Her brain couldn't process the information. "It can't be true! They're strong!" Hotaru muttered, tears dribbling down. "They'll survive." Subaru shook his head sadly. "They're already dead, I told you."

Hotaru accusingly pointed a finger at him. "Why are you not crying?" Her eyes filled with more painful tears. "How come you're still...okay?" Subaru stiffened. "Crying isn't being strong. They're gone." He replied. Softening, he added, "So don't cry."

"How can I NOT cry?" Hotaru screamed. She ran upstairs to her room, leaving a trail of tears. Mikan swiftly followed, giving Subaru a weird look. Softly, she said, "Sometimes crying is the only thing to do in these situations. She's showing another side of her. Her tears show her love for her parents. I think that's what 'strong' is." With that, she disappeared upstairs.

Subaru eyed the spot where she disappeared. "That kid's not half dumb," he muttered.

Youichi, who had been listening the whole time, mentally agreed.

End of this chapter!

Thnx!

-My Creative Notebook


	3. Chapter 3

**I'M SOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I WUZ SUPPOSED TO UPDATE ON THE 27th, BUT I GUESS I FORGOT... ^_^"**

Summary: Mikan Sakura and her best friend Hotaru Imai finally get the chance to go back to their hometown in the countryside. What awaits her there? What will happen after the trip? NatsumexMikan and HotaruxRuka

Genre: Friendship/Romance (Friendship near the beginning and middle, romance starting at the end of middle...that was kinda confusing :P) and Hurt/Comfort (This story will contain a lot of hurt for Hotaru and Mikan. Who comes in? Hehehehe...)

Rated: T (for language and some scenes... but most of the time I would also give it a K+)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. Wish I did though! :P

**Breathe**

**Chapter 3**

Mikan tiptoed to Hotaru's room, her heart pounding against her chest. She came across Hotaru's door, which had a big, electronic sign with big letters: KEEP OUT! Without warning, two robots sprung up.

"What is your business with Hotaru-sama?" One monotonously said, its hands reaching for the baka gun equipped in its belt. "Ummm... I need to talk to her! So could you, um, move so I can talk to her?" Mikan nervously replied, her head craning to look past the two robots to see if the door was locked. Her hand itched toward the doorknob.

"Halt!" The two robots pointed their guns at her. "What is your name?" Mikan scratched her head, and answered, "Mikan Sakura."

"We are sorry. You are not in her list of people allowed to enter her room." Mikan huffed. "I'm not surprised," she muttered. "Anyway, please! Let me enter." The two robots looked at each other. "We must consult Hotaru-sama," they said in unison. They disappeared (to who knows where). Mikan nodded, satisfied, and sat on the carpet floor, waiting for their reply.

The ESP laughed evilly. _What an interesting plot, _he thought, sipping whatever was in his cup. This was getting interesting.

Ruka couldn't concentrate. Stroking Usagi, he looked impatiently at the clock, waiting for class to end. Misaki-sensei was helping students indentify parts of some rare Alice plant. He glanced sideways at Natsume, who had his feet on the desk, his arms supporting his head, and his face covered in manga. Staring at his worksheet, he thought about Mikan and Hotaru. _What happened_? Natsume, meanwhile, was thinking almost the same thing. The ESP hardly ever called students down to his office unless something bad happened or was going to happen. He shook his head. _This is no time to be worried about Mikan, _he chided to himself, _You should be labeling plant parts_. Taking his manga off of his head and dropping his legs, he grabbed his pencil and stared at his worksheet. _Never mind,_ Natsume thought, and relaxed again. _Jeesh, so boring and so easy._

Mikan was getting agitated. Ten minutes already passed. Not a single sound was made. Subaru was downstairs thinking seriously while pouring Youichi a cup of tea. Mikan clenched her hands. Suddenly, without warning, the carpet moved. Mikan jumped to her feet with a squeak. Underneath it emerged not the two robots but a turtle—her turtle mail! Mikan grabbed the turtle and carefully retrieved the small note. _OK, _it said. Mikan punched the air in happiness. "I'll take that as a yes!" She tried the doorknob—it was locked. "Huh?" Noticing a little calculator thingy next to it, she observed both objects. "Is OK some sort of passcode or something?" She punched both letters in and tried the doorknob. It creaked open. She pounced in without hesitation.

Hotaru wiped her tears in disgust. She wasn't supposed to be crying. Strong girls like her weren't supposed to cry! Crying was showed weakness. Weakness was her fear. Feeling weak was not in Hotaru's book of feelings. At least not before. How could she handle this? All of a sudden, Hotaru's two main robots popped up in front of her. "A girl named Mikan Sakura has come to see you." Baka I said. "Do you wish for her to enter?" Baka II asked. Hotaru looked at the floor. Spotting a piece of scrap paper, she grabbed a pencil from her bed and scribbled a few letters on it. "Give this to her via turtle mail," she uttered, not moving her gaze from the ground. "Understood," Bakas I and II bowed and disappeared.

Moments later, Hotaru heard the door open. And Mikan pranced through, and after looking stupidly around her, she fell. Hotaru snickered. Mikan scratched her head nervously. "So, umm, hey!" Mikan nodded her head, trying to be cool. "How's it goin'?" Hotaru rolled her eyes but wouldn't reply. On a more serious note, she said, "Are you feeling better?"

Hotaru nodded her head and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I think I feel better." Mikan smiled goofily. "So are we ready to head back home?" Hotaru didn't even have to reply. She gave Mikan a look, which told her everything. "I'll be waiting downstairs!" Mikan told Hotaru.

Hotaru looked around her room slowly. Pictures of her family were everywhere, and Hotaru found it painful to recall the memories. Heading to the bathroom, she washed her face as best as she could to wash away all traces of her tears. She had to try to move on.

Mikan and Youichi greeted Hotaru as she came downstairs. Hotaru rolled her eyes at their sympathy and said that yes, in fact, she was feeling a lot better. Youichi grinned and exclaimed, "Your brother is going to enroll me into Alice Academy!" Hotaru was indeed surprised and happy, patting his spiky gray hair. Youichi adorably pouted. Hotaru turned to her older brother. A look of understanding passed through them. Both nodded once.

Mikan smiled, holding back her pain. "Let's go back to Alice Academy, guys!"

Sorry for the kinda short chapter. I think there's gonna be one or two more chapters after this one. I'm also working on a fluffy oneshot of Natsumikan right now.

Thnx guys!

-My Creative Notebook


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